# I'm addicted to an OTC!!!



## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

Okay, I started smoking a pipe as a member of a pipe smoking family. But, the men of my family were Mad Scientists of Tobacco, mostly smoking OTC blends they mixed together or played with.

Uncle Bill smoked Cap. Black White and sliced apples into his humidor.
Uncle Charlie mixed SWR, Middleton Apple, and something else into a blend.
Uncle Frank smoked Captain Black Blue and White mixed and bought some brand of Cigar that he ground up and put in there too!
Uncle Ernie smoked Half and Half that had a peeled orange and put in the humidor that he would shake around every few hours on his desk.
Uncle Bill smoked, as far as I can tell, a mishmash of whatever he happened to buy in a pouch and then dropped into a large humidor. He never bough more than 2 ounces of anything, and never took tobacco with him anywhere, he just bought a bag (I mean almost daily) and smoked some and put the remainder in a large jar. When at home he just dipped into that jar and packed his pipe.
Dad smoked SWR when "doing things" but his sitting down to enjoy smoke came from where he and the tobacconist created, over a 10 year period, "Bob's Blend" that the store still sells, a mix full of perique and latakia with something aromatic because the smell is mild for something that should smell like a burning cat (it tastes pretty good, but is STRONG! Neither the tobacconist nor Dad will tell anyone what is in it!) 

Well,when I started, I started at the tobacco store and I went through a lot. I finally found the I loved Frog Morton On the Town as a regular smoke, but was always buying a little of this and a little of that.

About two months ago I was on vacation and had left my tobacco at home (I brought my pipe bag, but left the tobacco bag on the table). We were far from civilization in the mountains and I happened into a gas station/grocery store/post office. The man behind the counter was smoking a Cob in defiance of a state law against smoking in a business (Hooray!), so I asked him if they had Pipe Tobacco. He had large tubs of Prince Albert, Carter Hall, Middleton Cherry, Walnut, and Sugar Barrel. All of these were the tubs, so whatever I got I was gonna be smoking a while. As I thought he offered me his pouch (without telling me the brand) and I loaded my pipe with it and lit...
One word...HEAVEN!

Maybe it was withdrawl (I had been 48 hours without), but I liked it. I liked it so much I bought the tub.

Over the course of my week vacation I kept a bowl of this lit almost every waking moment. I couldn't get enough. And it PASSED the wife test. She kept saying it was so pleasing to smell.

After the trip I ran out. I did not find it in the stores, so I ordered several tubs worth.

I am slowly becoming a one tobacco smoker.

And it is an OTC.

I am addicted to John Middleton's Sugar Barrel.

Whew! It feels good to get that off my chest!

I also have started to sample more of the "Old Codger" burley blends and I find...I do like them. A part of me feels like I am low class for smoking my OTC, but I like them, and LOVE this Sugar Barrel. Maybe I have low class tastes, but as a pipe smoker I have found the smoke I have been looking for, for years.

Anyone else out there on this list an old Codger Burley smoker?


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## keenween (Jun 25, 2007)

i have trouble finding otc's...but i did just buy some prince albert to try. where did you order from? i like the idea of no fuss burleys, maybe because i feel like i fuss too much over regular smokes. sugar barrel sounds pretty good.

its also very cool you have pipers to learn from in your fam!


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## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

keenween said:


> i have trouble finding otc's...but i did just buy some prince albert to try. where did you order from?


I ordered it from 4noggins.com. I bought 4 jars which ran $99.80 and they have free shipping over $99.00. Other good places are Milan or JR Cigars.



keenween said:


> i like the idea of no fuss burleys, maybe because i feel like i fuss too much over regular smokes. sugar barrel sounds pretty good.


If you read Sugar Barrel over on Tobacco Reviews you rarely get a bad review, and if you look at those reviewers other comments, they seem to be people who only log on to complain. I have, as of yet, not had a friend sample Sugar Barrel who does not like it.

Since it is a Burley and Virginia Blend you get that nice Virginia Flavor, but the solid Burley as well. Another thing? All these Middeltons I try...STAY LIT! I LOVE THAT!


keenween said:


> its also very cool you have pipers to learn from in your fam!


It was nice to grow up with pipe smokers...and it meant no one questioned when I picked up my first pipe!


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## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

Pretty funny what your favorite turned out to be considering your username.


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## cactusboy33 (Sep 25, 2009)

I'm quite a fan of an OTC myself. Well two actually. St Bruno and Three Nuns. 

They are sold standbys that don't fail me and form the bulk of my rotation.

Actually having those two available just down the road is the only benefit of pipe smoking in the UK.

I must try some Sugar Barrel now. Seems pretty tasty.


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## WWhermit (Nov 30, 2008)

I must say that I enjoy Sugar Barrel from time to time myself. I always said that if all the premier pipe tobacco was suddenly unavailable, I'd be buying tubs of Sugar Barrel.

And don't forget the famous words, "Smoke what ya like, and like what ya smoke!"

WWhermit
ipe:


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

I've got 2 tubs of Sugar Barrel in my cellar, along with an open one in my tobacco bar. Ditto for Middleton's Walnut. I'm also a fairly regular smoker of Prince Albert Choice and your namesake, Granger. Sometimes nothing else will do.

Sugar Barrel is one of those horrible OTC's and yet it does something few boutique aromatic blends can do - it smells great in the room and also tastes mostly of tobacco instead of the aromatic agent used. In my mind, that's a high quality tobacco.


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## Jogi (Dec 4, 2009)

Same her sir, Captain Black's White does the job for me... I'm puffin' my cob, anyone around me's enjoying the room-note, everyone's happy:grouphug:


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## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

dmkerr said:


> Sugar Barrel is one of those horrible OTC's and yet it does something few boutique aromatic blends can do - it smells great in the room and also tastes mostly of tobacco instead of the aromatic agent used. In my mind, that's a high quality tobacco.


Yes, all Sugar Barrel has going for it are 1) Great Flavor 2) Great Room Note 3) Great "Smokeability" in that it packs easy and stays lit.

And 3 out of 3 ain't bad!

I found that as my SB aged once opened, it tasted even better. I use "Felli Flip-Tite" storage containers for my open tobacco. For SB I have found I open the Tub and leave it in there about 7-10 days to breathe. The little bit of tub taste disappears and all you get it that delicious tobacco flavor with a pinch of sweetness.

Interestingly, SB does not taste like it is sugary (although sometimes you do get a nice hint of Brown Sugar) it just tastes like good tobacco with a nice sweetness.


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## briarbrian (Jan 27, 2010)

hey smoke what you like it isnt making you any less of a pipe smoker in the realm of things thats for sure!


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## Diodon nepheligina (Nov 5, 2009)

Hmmm... Sounds like a winner. I'm going to add some to my next order.:thumb:


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## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

Diodon nepheligina said:


> Hmmm... Sounds like a winner. I'm going to add some to my next order.:thumb:


If you don't like it...you know who to message for a trade 

But let me recommend again, open the plastic and let it air for a couple of days. I find the longer I am working on a barrel the better it gets.

And it smells SO GOOD in the tub!


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## GreatBonsai (Jun 30, 2008)

Diodon nepheligina said:


> Hmmm... Sounds like a winner. I'm going to add some to my next order.:thumb:


+1

Though my next order is a little far off... I have quite a bit sitting in my tobacco drawer (closest thing I have to a cellar in my dorm room) which has been unsmoked due to the absurd humidity here in S. Korea. Right now I'm a bowl-a-week smoker... Come fall that number will see a very sharp spike!


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## mbearer (Jun 2, 2010)

Well, I am going to the dark side and just ordered a tub of this to try  

My Wife's Paternal Grandfather used to smoke Prince Albert and she really wanted me to get some to bring back memories for her. After a couple weeks I finally found some took it home and grudgingly opened up the "can" (Wife said I got took and it's not even a can anymore just a stupid plastic tub and I should complain hehe) figuring I would smoke it sometimes when she was around then light up something good right after. I have to admit though I am liking the Prince. There is nothing fancy about it at all. But it has a solid straight taste, stays lit, is low maintenance and just works.... I find myself reaching for it a good amount now when I don't want to fuss with the pipe just light and go.

So last night, I ordered me some Sugar Barrel to try as well and another can of PA to sit under the stairs on standby. Some of these OTC's might have something going for them. I think if I had PA instead of Goopy Aro's when I first tried to smoke a pipe 10 years ago I would of been a pipe smoker for 10+ years now instead of 4 or so months.... 
Mike


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## Nurse_Maduro (Oct 23, 2008)

I'm actually quite fond of Carter Hall. I've recently found a terrific smoke shop in PA, where I buy my gf's cigs (NY won't get another cent from me until they rethink a few things), and they have a pretty large selection of tubs. Think I'm going to try the Sugar Barrel next week...thanks for the heads up!


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## laloin (Jun 29, 2010)

hmmmm you guys have me thinking bout OTC baccy.
I did goto the local walmart and buy some captain black white, and a packet of PA.
captain black was ok, haven't smoked the PA soo might have to have a bowl tonight at work
troy


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## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

laloin said:


> hmmmm you guys have me thinking bout OTC baccy.
> I did goto the local walmart and buy some captain black white, and a packet of PA.
> captain black was ok, haven't smoked the PA soo might have to have a bowl tonight at work
> troy


A sad side effect of the recent confiscatory taxes is that I have seen several Tobacco stores go out of business. As I travel a good deal I stop when I see one and (much to my wife's chagrin) usually walk away with something.

I have a cabinet that is loaded with Lord only knows how many tins, dozens of ball jars, and several plastic tubs of Sugar Barrel, Prince Albert, and Captain Black-White. But none of this stops me from picking up something here and again.

I was in Birmingham, AL two weeks ago and wandered into a tobacco store and there was a table that said PRE TAX ITEM SELL OFF. Well, this store is 95% cigars and 4.99% Cigarettes. They had a tiny bit of pipe stuff, which they were getting rid of at clearance prices. I got a nice rack, two tobacco jars and a bag for next to nothing AND they had TWO cans of Captain Black White for...$21.00 EACH! Oh yeah! Now THAT is a deal!

Sugar Barrel is my favorite OTC, but the Captain rates a close 2nd (Prince Albert was my wife's father and grandfather's smoke, so she asks me to smoke it on occasion...I don't mind, I really LIKE PA). There is something so nutty and warm about the Captain. But it always amazes me how much I DO NOT like any of the other Captain Black mixes. Ugg!


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## plexiprs (Nov 18, 2005)

commonsenseman said:


> Pretty funny what your favorite turned out to be considering your username.


Funny, I had the same thought!!!

Sugar Barrel @ good price!


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## gibson_es (Jan 23, 2010)

the only kind of baccy i have smoked in a pipe is this brand i cant think of i get from walgreens, its in a big bag and its "mellow flavor"

i dont have anything to compare it with, but i like it, a friend of mine tried it and he too likes it and he smokes pipe regularly, so that makes me feel a bit better about my decision.


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